{"record":{"id":"f1eb41de1d73f629","repo":"openai/openai-python","slug":"expected-a-non-empty-value-for-file-id-but-recei-f1eb41","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Expected a non-empty value for `file_id` but received {file_id!r}","messagePattern":"Expected a non-empty value for `file_id` but received (.+?)","errorType":"validation","errorClass":"ValueError","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"src/openai/resources/files.py","lineNumber":181,"sourceCode":"        extra_headers: Headers | None = None,\n        extra_query: Query | None = None,\n        extra_body: Body | None = None,\n        timeout: float | httpx2.Timeout | None | NotGiven = not_given,\n    ) -> FileObject:\n        \"\"\"\n        Returns information about a specific file.\n\n        Args:\n          extra_headers: Send extra headers\n\n          extra_query: Add additional query parameters to the request\n\n          extra_body: Add additional JSON properties to the request\n\n          timeout: Override the client-level default timeout for this request, in seconds\n        \"\"\"\n        if not file_id:\n            raise ValueError(f\"Expected a non-empty value for `file_id` but received {file_id!r}\")\n        return self._get(\n            path_template(\"/files/{file_id}\", file_id=file_id),\n            options=make_request_options(\n                extra_headers=extra_headers,\n                extra_query=extra_query,\n                extra_body=extra_body,\n                timeout=timeout,\n                security={\"bearer_auth\": True},\n            ),\n            cast_to=FileObject,\n        )\n\n    def list(\n        self,\n        *,\n        after: str | Omit = omit,\n        limit: int | Omit = omit,\n        order: Literal[\"asc\", \"desc\"] | Omit = omit,","sourceCodeStart":163,"sourceCodeEnd":199,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/openai/openai-python/blob/9917c6e28e66e90e1227b3d223c06a8c5441515a/src/openai/resources/files.py#L163-L199","documentation":"The sync files retrieve method requires a non-empty `file_id` path parameter. The SDK validates it before GETting `/files/{file_id}` and raises ValueError when it is None or an empty string. This protects against malformed URLs and happens before any network activity.","triggerScenarios":"Calling `client.files.retrieve(\"\")` or `client.files.retrieve(file_id=None)`, e.g. after an upload response field was misread or a config value is blank.","commonSituations":"Using `file.id` vs `file.filename` incorrectly after `client.files.create(...)`; reading file ids from env vars or DB rows that are unset; processing user-supplied ids without validation.","solutions":["Use the `id` attribute of the File object returned by `client.files.create()`","Check the id is a non-empty string (typically starting with 'file-') before calling retrieve","Validate external inputs (CLI args, request params) for the file id"],"exampleFix":"# before\nf = client.files.retrieve(file_id=os.getenv(\"FILE_ID\", \"\"))\n# after\nfile_id = os.getenv(\"FILE_ID\")\nif not file_id:\n    raise RuntimeError(\"FILE_ID env var is not set\")\nf = client.files.retrieve(file_id=file_id)","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"if not file_id:\n    raise ValueError(\"file_id is required\")\nfile_obj = client.files.retrieve(file_id=file_id)","typeGuard":"def is_file_id(value: object) -> bool:\n    return isinstance(value, str) and value.startswith(\"file-\") and len(value) > len(\"file-\")","tryCatchPattern":"try:\n    file_obj = client.files.retrieve(file_id)\nexcept ValueError as e:\n    if \"file_id\" in str(e):\n        files = client.files.list()\n        file_obj = next(f for f in files if f.filename == expected_name)\n    else:\n        raise","preventionTips":["Always use file.id, never file.filename, in API calls","Persist file ids immediately after upload"],"tags":["python","openai","files","path-parameter","valueerror"],"backgroundTag":"missing-required-parameter","analyzedSha":"9917c6e28e66e90e1227b3d223c06a8c5441515a","analyzedAt":"2026-08-28T11:46:34.183Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-28T16:17:29.566Z"}